


Happy birthday, my favourite dolphin boy

by BooksandKpop



Series: Soft Fics 9: Every SF9 Pairing (OT2) [6]
Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Drabble, M/M, Platonic Relationship, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 21:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14627733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksandKpop/pseuds/BooksandKpop
Summary: Hwiyoung didn't enjoy the fuss of birthdays. So Dawon wanted to make this year a little different.





	Happy birthday, my favourite dolphin boy

**Author's Note:**

> For my most darling baby bias on his birthday!! Soft HwiWon is best HwiWon.
> 
> (I have my first exam on Monday please kick my ass into gear)

"-we can get a cake and balloons and everything! Come on Hwi it will be fun!"

 

Hwiyoung sighed and just shrugged his shoulders. No matter how hard he protested his friends would continue to throw him a birthday party every year. Now he was extremely grateful that he had friends who cared so much, but he just wished they would listen when he told them that he didn't like a big fuss. He would be happy with just a text or a hug from them and to leave it at that. But he knew how much they enjoyed planning parties and singing that stupid song, so he wouldn't deny them the chance. Even if he said no, they would just try to convince him again the next day, so really it was just better to agree and move on. 

Fast forward to two days before his birthday and his friends had everything ready. Inseong had been to the bakery down the road from the dance studio and ordered a personalised cake, Youngbin and Jaeyoon were hiding a load of balloons and other decorations in their room, and Rowoon had made a big fuss of getting Juho and Chani to help him clean the dorm so they could have a little party. Taeyang understood better than the others that Hwiyoung wasn't fond of the whole thing, but he loved parties too and couldn't help getting excited. The only one of his friends who hadn't made a big deal out of it was Dawon, he even point-blank refused to help do anything party related. Hwiyoung wasn't sure what the elder was up to, but he was grateful at least one of his friends wasn't making a big deal about it. 

He had gone to bed early the night before his actual birthday on strict orders from Youngbin. It was ten o'clock and he was lying in bed, all by himself while the others were decorating the living room. They were probably going to drag him out at midnight to sing to him. He drifted off a little but woke up immediately when he heard the door creak open. Opening his eyes, he expected to be manhandled or serenaded - or both at the same time. Instead, a shadow crept in and shut the door behind them. Whoever it was obviously was trying to be quiet, and was failing miserably thanks to the creaky floorboards.

 

"Hyung, what are you doing?"

"Ah you're not sleeping? Sorry Youngkyun-ah, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine Dawon-hyung. But seriously, what are you doing?"

"I'm here on a mission!"

"What have the others asked you to do?"

"No no! It's a secret mission, none of the others know."

"Ok, what is it?"

"We're going to make a daring escape from the dorm without anyone noticing!"

"Escape?"

"Yup! I rented a car and it's sitting right outside. So get dressed, we're going on an adventure!"

"Hyung, it's twenty to eleven."

"The way I see it, you have two options. Stay here and get assaulted with birthday songs and cake which you don't want, or, you can come with me on a daring night escapade."

"Give me five minutes to get changed."

 

Dawon let out a quiet whoop of excitement and helped Hwiyoung choose what to wear. He was dressed in jeans and a hoodie and had a cap and mask with him too. Hwiyoung opted for similar, his favourite jeans and plaid shirt with a cardigan on top. Grabbing his phone and wallet as well as a cap, he was ready to go. Dawon opened the door cautiously and looked out, and after deeming the coast clear he signalled Hwiyoung to head towards the door. They snuck out, shoving their feet into the first pair of shoes they could find and grabbing coats before carefully unlocking the door. Hwiyoung was surprised how no one had noticed their breakout, but Dawon told him on their walk downstairs that they were too busy trying to set everything up. 

They made it to the garage and Hwiyoung whistled at the shiny jeep that was sitting waiting for them. Dawon gave him a satisfied grin before they hopped in and drove away. It was only as they were leaving the residential area they lived in that Hwiyoung wondered where they were going to go.

 

"Anywhere you want Kyunnie, it's your birthday after all."

 

His hyung cackled at the rude gesture Hwiyoung made at him, but happily got onto the freeway heading towards the beach as requested. He really wasn't sure why he wanted to go to the beach, especially considering it was the middle of the night in May. But Dawon had the radio on full blast and was singing at the top of his lungs to every song they played and Hwiyoung laughed. It wouldn't last, but the freedom he felt right now was incredible. 

 

"Hyung, what are we going to do when the others go to wake me up at midnight?"

"What makes you think they're going to do that?"

"Well, I thought they were going to wake me up and sing as soon as it changed to the eleventh."

"Jaeyoon-hyung wanted to do that, but between myself and Taeyang we convinced the others to let you sleep and just wake you up at breakfast time."

"But what about when Taeyang-hyung goes into our room and I'm not there?"

"Rowoonie convinced him to sleep somewhere else tonight so you wouldn't get woken up."

"I thought you said no one knew about your plan?"

"They don't, but their caring natures just happened to work in our favour."

 

They both smiled at that and the knot in Hwiyoung's stomach loosened. He still had time with this sense of freedom, and he would enjoy every second of it. There was no traffic at this time of night and so they reached the salt flats in no time. It was pretty dark but the street lights lit up the water and Hwiyoung felt the urge to just get out and run. Dawon must have read his mind because he rolled down Hwiyoung's window all the way and encouraged him to stick his head out. He did so with glee. The smell of salt and sea in the air was exactly what he needed. It was chilly, but as the wind whipped his hair wildly around all Hwiyoung felt was joy. And so he yelled, whooping into the night air with his hyung laughing in the car behind him. 

After another short while, they reached the actual beach. There was only one other car parked there, probably the night time lifeguard. They both climbed out, putting on their coats before Dawon locked the jeep and they walked down towards the sand. Deciding there was no point in denying his urges, Hwiyoung stopped at the edge and pulled off his shoes and socks. Dawon made a noise of approval and done the same, leaving their footwear lined up neatly on the wall before making their way down. The sand was still residually warm and Hwiyoung relished the feeling of it under his feet. When they reached the main strand Dawon turned to him.

 

"So Kyun, what next?"

 

He had a wicked smile and a glint in his eyes. Hwiyoung couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of being able to do whatever he wanted. There were no managers, not cameras, no reason to hold back. So he didn't. He took a deep breath and just screamed at the top of his lungs releasing all his pent-up frustrations into the cool sea breeze. Dawon happily joined in, screeching and making all sorts of weird noises. He felt free and elated, and his body was thrumming with energy. Throwing his hands up into the air Hwiyoung started running down the strand, shouting all the way. His hyung followed him, turning their run into a race. Hwiyoung's heart sped up and his lungs filled with the fresh, salty air. It felt so good to just let go. 

They continued running, Dawon overtaking him and taunting him over his shoulder. Hwiyoung sped up and jumped on his back, causing the older to curse and stumble a little. But he caught him and kept going, giving Hwiyoung a piggyback. Suddenly he turned and started sprinting towards the water, causing Hwiyoung to scream higher and try to escape the death grip on his legs - but it was no use. Dawon ran until they were right at the water's edge before dropping Hwiyoung down onto the sand and grabbing his hand to make him stand still. The waves lapped at their feet and the cool water felt so nice that he couldn't help laughing. A much bigger wave started coming in and so the pair turned and ran away still giggling. They ran back in the direction the came, jumping and shouting their wishes to the stars. 

Suddenly Dawon tackled him from behind and knocked them both to the ground. He tickled Hwiyoung until he was flushed and begging for mercy. Dawon was out of breath too when he rolled off and lay on his back beside the younger. The only sounds were their heavy panting and the gentle rush of the waves against the sand. In the distance, a bird called, and Dawon squawked back, causing Hwiyoung to burst into peals of laughter. He wasn't sure how long they lay on the sand, letting their heart rates return to normal and feeling the nighttime air kiss their faces. When Dawon reached out his hand for Hwiyoung's the younger took it easily, enjoying the heat of his hyung's skin against his own.

Eventually, they sat up and Hwiyoung felt lighter than he had in an age. Dawon looked at him smiling, his hair was a mess and they were both covered in sand and yet he never looked more beautiful than right now. The older stood up first, pulling Hwiyoung to stand beside him. Hands still linked they looked out at the sea, completely undisturbed by their wild antics. It was reassuring, that no matter what he did or how badly he messed up, there were some things he could always rely on to stay the same. That, Hwiyoung realised, was the reason he wanted to come to the beach. Dawon tugged on his hand and pointed excitedly at the sky.

 

"Youngkyun, look! A shooting star, we should make a wish!"

 

His voice was hoarse from the cold air and all the yelling, but Hwiyoung could still hear the wonder and joy in his words. The older shut his eyes and squeezed Hwiyoung's hand as he wished upon the star. After a moment he reopened them and let out a satisfied hum before turning to find Hwiyoung watching him.

 

"Did you make your wish? Because I did, and I think it's pretty awesome."

"Yeah, I did hyung."

 

_I wish we can stay together, always. And that you'll never lose your spark._

 

"Well, I'm getting cold. And the sand is starting to make me itchy. Let's go back to the jeep!"

 

Hwiyoung nodded and smiled, and they pair walked back towards the car park remembering to collect their shoes on the way. They kept their hands linked the whole way back until Dawon had to let go to open the boot. When he showed the younger what was in it, Hwiyoung just laughed. His hyung had brought pillows and blankets and a big bag of snacks. When questioned, he just smirked and ruffled Hwiyoung's hair.

 

"I was hardly going to go on a drive in the middle of the night and not come prepared now was I?"

 

He just smiled and took the towel offered to him to clean all the sand from his feet and the bottom of his jeans. Dawon complained about how he would be finding sand everywhere for weeks but he didn't sound too bothered by the prospect. When they were both as clean as they could get, they shrugged off their coats and jumpers and jumped into the backseat of the car. Between them, they made a decent nest of bedding and turned on the engine to heat up the interior a little while singing some more as they gorged on snacks. Hwiyoung felt himself start to doze off in the warmth and with his hyungs voice in his ears. He felt strong arms wrap around him and pull him back into an embrace, and suddenly he was cocooned in blankets. He happily shuffled backwards until he could rest his head on Dawon's chest and feel his heartbeat through his shirt. As he was just about to enter a blissful state of sleep, he heard words murmured into his ear.

 

"Happy birthday, my favourite dolphin boy."

 

Hwiyoung breathed in the familiar smell of his hyung and smiled as he fell under. 

 

They were rudely awoken sometime in the morning by angry, violent buzzing from their cell phones buried under the mountain of blankets. It was probably the other members and their manager looking for them Hwiyoung figured. He made an attempt to sit up and find the source of the disturbance, but he was pulled back down by a sleepy Dawon. His hair was even more of a mess than it was before, the salt in the air making it stiff and stick up at weird angles. The light from the sunrise shone in through the window and turned his skin golden, and Hwiyoung felt his breath catch. Dawon opened his eyes and they were shining, and when he smiled Hwiyoung's heart skipped a beat. 

 

"I assume that the car wasn't invaded by wasps in the middle of the night and that sound is, in fact, our phones."

"Yup."

 

Both of their voices were cracked and raspy, and when they laughed it sounded breathless. Dawon blindly fumbled around with the arm that wasn't holding Hwiyoung until he found his phone. There were a ridiculous amount of missed calls and texts, but he ignored them all in favour of going to the group chat they shared with the other members. He sent a short message confirming they were alive and safe and that they would be back later, and with that turned his phone off completely. Hwiyoung chuckled and shook his head as his phone started buzzing even harder. He found it and text their manager that he and Dawon were fine and would return home later, and then he followed by example and powered it off. They were definitely going to get into so much trouble when they got home, but the freedom they had right now was worth it. Sitting up properly, they both stretched before disassembling their blanket fort.

Throwing on their socks and shoes, they stepped out of the jeep into the crisp morning air. Hwiyoung reached his arms up towards the sky and revelled in the warmth of the sun against his face. This was exactly what he needed. Dawon threw an arm across his shoulders and took a deep breath of the sea smell that was surrounding them. It was still very early; just after six am according to when they had looked at their phones. But the day promised good weather and so there would no doubt soon be a crowd of people coming to the beach since it was a weekend.

No words were needed as they both climbed back into the jeep with one last look at the water and sand they had played in the night before. It was a little bittersweet leaving it behind, but Hwiyoung knew that the memories and the freedom he had felt would not be something he could ever forget. They stopped at a quaint little café that looked open in one of the towns they drove through for breakfast. As a precaution, they had put on their caps and masks, but the only people in the store were an old couple having tea outside and the owners themselves, neither of whom were likely to recognise them as idols. They ordered a simple meal with some tea and happily tucked in, chatting about the most insignificant things. Dawon paid for everything, calling it his birthday gift. Hwiyoung punched his arm lightly before thanking him with a smile.

They took the scenic route back, avoiding the freeway in favour of driving through all the little fishing villages along the coast. Hwiyoung watched the sea fade from view through the window as they returned to the hustle and bustle of the city, but the smell of salt on their clothes and the raspiness of Dawon's voice as he sang along to the radio were enough to keep the memory alive. 

As expected, they were harshly scolded when they returned, by members and managers alike. It was stupid, it was dangerous, it was irresponsible - Hwiyoung faced all of it holding tightly onto Dawon's hand. When eventually they had been chastised enough and their manager let them off, Dawon didn't let go. Instead, he held tighter and pulled Hwiyoung away from the group and into the bathroom. They showered together and Dawon helped him wash all the salt from his hair and sand from his skin. If it had been anyone else he would have put on a brave face, but it was Dawon and so Hwiyoung didn't hold back his tears. The older just hummed him a song and gently dried his face with a sad smile.

 

"I'm sorry Youngkyun."

"Don't be sorry hyung, I knew exactly what we were getting into. But I don't regret it."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Thank you for doing this for me."

"I would do anything for you Kyunnie."

"Will you carry me to bed?"

"Consider it done."

 

Dawon lifted him bridal style and ignored the calls from their members as he brought Hwiyoung into his bedroom and tucked him in under the covers. He sat on the floor beside him playing with his hair until Hwiyoung drifted to sleep again. Dawon was gone when he woke up a few hours later, but there was a note under his pillow in his hyung's lazy scrawl.

 

**I had to go return the jeep! The others are all hanging around the dorm, it's up to you if you want to tell them where we went. Happy Birthday, dolphin bro!**

 

He chuckled and tucked the piece of paper into this pocket before heading out into the living room to face the others. Taeyang and Inseong rushed to give him a hug first but they all did in turn, wishing him a happy birthday. No one mentioned his trip and as soon as Dawon returned they sang and had cake. Hwiyoung noticed that all the decorations that had been bought were nowhere to be seen, and only a few balloons were hiding in stray corners of the room. He didn't say much, but when he thanked the members for the cake and birthday wishes he poured all his sincerity into it. That night as they were going to bed he gave Dawon an extra big hug and was rewarded with a kiss on his forehead and a promise to always be with him.

Taeyang asked him where he had gone as they settled down for bed, but Hwiyoung refused to tell. The memory of the freedom he shared with Dawon was preserved only in their hearts and minds.

 

Next year for his birthday the members didn't make a big fuss or try to throw him a party. Instead they all just gave him hugs and birthday wishes, and they had cake at the company later that day. But as he was going to bed that night, he found a small box under his pillow. Inside was a glass bottle filled with sand and water, and when he opened the cork there was a strong smell of salt. There was no name, but Hwiyoung knew exactly who it was from. If the other members noticed how close he stuck to Dawon the say after they didn't say anything, and the little bottle became his good luck charm in times of stress.


End file.
